The UK Politics and EU Referendum thread - merged

[nirvana]

Agree with you. Not even sure what the point of principle is. Plays well to the people who already support him but plainly ridiculous posturing. Bercow, who knows a thing or two about posturing, confirming his cretinousness again.

[Doobs]

If you are going to draw the line at any US president then Trump is your man.   I thought about this and wondered if it was recency bias, but I just don't think any other president in my life time was so dislikeable. 

But Corbyn always has that issue in that he has been pictured with. a right bunch of rogues over the years.  Hence he does something like this and people can always go "but, hold on..."  And what happens if he becomes PM, and has to meet all kinds of unsavory characters then?  I'd also say what could happen if the Donald is still president, but he already throws so much shit around whatever Corbyn does, so not sure that matters much.  It should, but just don't think it does in the circumstances.


 

[Pokerpops]

If you are going to draw the line at any US president then Trump is your man.   I thought about this and wondered if it was recency bias, but I just don't think any other president in my life time was so dislikeable. 

But Corbyn always has that issue in that he has been pictured with. a right bunch of rogues over the years.  Hence he does something like this and people can always go "but, hold on..."  And what happens if he becomes PM, and has to meet all kinds of unsavory characters then?  I'd also say what could happen if the Donald is still president, but he already throws so much shit around whatever Corbyn does, so not sure that matters much.  It should, but just don't think it does in the circumstances.


 

Nixon was pretty unpleasant. I wouldn’t want to have to make an either/or choice between him and Trump, but ultimately Trump has the slight edge of being ineffective.

[kukushkin88]

It’s just a non event Corbyn wise, obviously Trump is an utter wanker, so it seems like an OK (albeit unimportant) call. In terms of the the decision to give him a state visit, post Brexit we’ll have to beg, desperately for Trump to be kind and merciful, so buttering him up with a state visit seems like the right call.

[BigAdz]

If you are going to draw the line at any US president then Trump is your man.   I thought about this and wondered if it was recency bias, but I just don't think any other president in my life time was so dislikeable. 

But Corbyn always has that issue in that he has been pictured with. a right bunch of rogues over the years.  Hence he does something like this and people can always go "but, hold on..."  And what happens if he becomes PM, and has to meet all kinds of unsavory characters then?  I'd also say what could happen if the Donald is still president, but he already throws so much shit around whatever Corbyn does, so not sure that matters much.  It should, but just don't think it does in the circumstances.


 

Nixon was pretty unpleasant. I wouldn’t want to have to make an either/or choice between him and Trump, but ultimately Trump has the slight edge of being ineffective.

Crazy statement.

Go ask anyone working in the U.S. construction industry if they think Trump is ineffective.......

[Doobs]

If you are going to draw the line at any US president then Trump is your man.   I thought about this and wondered if it was recency bias, but I just don't think any other president in my life time was so dislikeable. 

But Corbyn always has that issue in that he has been pictured with. a right bunch of rogues over the years.  Hence he does something like this and people can always go "but, hold on..."  And what happens if he becomes PM, and has to meet all kinds of unsavory characters then?  I'd also say what could happen if the Donald is still president, but he already throws so much shit around whatever Corbyn does, so not sure that matters much.  It should, but just don't think it does in the circumstances.


 

Nixon was pretty unpleasant. I wouldn’t want to have to make an either/or choice between him and Trump, but ultimately Trump has the slight edge of being ineffective.

Crazy statement.

Go ask anyone working in the U.S. construction industry if they think Trump is ineffective.......

The ones "building" the wall?

[RED-DOG]

To my knowledge, none of the former presidents were nearly so volatile or mentally unstable.

[RickBFA]

If you are going to draw the line at any US president then Trump is your man.   I thought about this and wondered if it was recency bias, but I just don't think any other president in my life time was so dislikeable. 

But Corbyn always has that issue in that he has been pictured with. a right bunch of rogues over the years.  Hence he does something like this and people can always go "but, hold on..."  And what happens if he becomes PM, and has to meet all kinds of unsavory characters then?  I'd also say what could happen if the Donald is still president, but he already throws so much shit around whatever Corbyn does, so not sure that matters much.  It should, but just don't think it does in the circumstances.


 

The important point would be if Corbyn became PM and Trump was still President.

What does Corbyn do then?

Principles and boycotting things are easy from the back benches. Much tougher if you are a leader where there is a balance to be struck.

[bobAlike]

To my knowledge, none of the former presidents were nearly so volatile or mentally unstable.

Did any other presidents have access to Twitter?

[Dewi_cool]

To my knowledge, none of the former presidents were nearly so volatile or mentally unstable.

Did any other presidents have access to Twitter?

I'm sure Obama did.

[Skippy]

If you are going to draw the line at any US president then Trump is your man.   I thought about this and wondered if it was recency bias, but I just don't think any other president in my life time was so dislikeable. 

But Corbyn always has that issue in that he has been pictured with. a right bunch of rogues over the years.  Hence he does something like this and people can always go "but, hold on..."  And what happens if he becomes PM, and has to meet all kinds of unsavory characters then?  I'd also say what could happen if the Donald is still president, but he already throws so much shit around whatever Corbyn does, so not sure that matters much.  It should, but just don't think it does in the circumstances.


 

The important point would be if Corbyn became PM and Trump was still President.

What does Corbyn do then?

Principles and boycotting things are easy from the back benches. Much tougher if you are a leader where there is a balance to be struck.

For me the best thing to do is to not invite him if you don't like him (I know it's not up to Corbyn). Once he's been invited, sulking in a corner feels like a mistake. 

[MintTrav]

If you are going to draw the line at any US president then Trump is your man.   I thought about this and wondered if it was recency bias, but I just don't think any other president in my life time was so dislikeable. 

But Corbyn always has that issue in that he has been pictured with. a right bunch of rogues over the years.  Hence he does something like this and people can always go "but, hold on..."  And what happens if he becomes PM, and has to meet all kinds of unsavory characters then?  I'd also say what could happen if the Donald is still president, but he already throws so much shit around whatever Corbyn does, so not sure that matters much.  It should, but just don't think it does in the circumstances.


 

The important point would be if Corbyn became PM and Trump was still President.

What does Corbyn do then?

Principles and boycotting things are easy from the back benches. Much tougher if you are a leader where there is a balance to be struck.

?

If he became PM, he wouldn't have an option - he would have to meet and greet Trump and others who he doesn't approve of. Right now, he isn't, so he has, so he doesn't.

[Jon MW]

If you are going to draw the line at any US president then Trump is your man.   I thought about this and wondered if it was recency bias, but I just don't think any other president in my life time was so dislikeable. 

But Corbyn always has that issue in that he has been pictured with. a right bunch of rogues over the years.  Hence he does something like this and people can always go "but, hold on..."  And what happens if he becomes PM, and has to meet all kinds of unsavory characters then?  I'd also say what could happen if the Donald is still president, but he already throws so much shit around whatever Corbyn does, so not sure that matters much.  It should, but just don't think it does in the circumstances.


 

The important point would be if Corbyn became PM and Trump was still President.

What does Corbyn do then?

Principles and boycotting things are easy from the back benches. Much tougher if you are a leader where there is a balance to be struck.

?

If he became PM, he wouldn't have an option - he would have to meet and greet Trump and others who he doesn't approve of. Right now, he isn't, so he has, so he doesn't.

Isn't that the worry/risk?

That he'd take 'principle' over any other consideration?

[Sheriff Fatman]

?

If he became PM, he wouldn't have an option - he would have to meet and greet Trump and others who he doesn't approve of. Right now, he isn't, so he has, so he doesn't.

Isn't that the worry/risk?

That he'd take 'principle' over any other consideration?

He's shot himself in the foot by not attending, as it creates an easy win for his opponents to point out his failures as a potential statesman for the UK.  There's a big difference in him turning this invite down as LOTO, compared to Vince Cable doing so, as a party leader with no (theoretical) chance to be PM.

As LOTO, as much as for being PM, there's a moral duty attached to attend events such as this, no matter how much you disagree with them as it's a part of the conventions of international diplomacy (the error here, IMO, is inviting Trump in the first place).  For Corbyn, this is even more the case given the parade of organisations he's been linked with in the past.

What happens now if, and I hope it's never the case, he becomes PM and has to continue the 'special relationship' with the US, which has survived in general regardless of the allegiances of the respective PM/President?  He's given Trump an easy option to play political games with it, based solely on the declined invitation.

Not that any were needed, but it's yet another of the many reasons why Corbyn isn't fit for his current role, never mind that of PM.

[Sheriff Fatman]

Is this historic thread finally losing momentum (pun not intended)?

Cabinet minister sacked for allegedly breaching the Official Secrets Act, Labour continuing to act as two parties sitting under the same banner, UKIP now looking more like the BNP than a party interested in Brexit.  Amid all that, we have local elections today which are intriguing as to what extent the voting public will punish the Tories, Labour and UKIP respectively.  Arguably all deserve to get hammered, but will that prove to be the case?